The path to Marsh Madness has been decided and four local teams punched its ticket on Thursday night.
The Winnfield Lady Tigers continue to surprise the field and are heading to Hammond to continue to topple the higher seed. They knocked off No. 6 Sterlington in the second round and have beaten No. 3 seed Springfield both on the road. Winnfield and Springfield were close after the first quarter with the Lady Bulldogs on top 11-10. Winnfield took the lead in the second quarter and held on to the 24-17. Emari Evans pulled in 10 in the third quarter as the Lady Tigers extended their lead to 43-33. Evans made sure the Lady Tigers were headed to Hammond with another nine as Winnfield won 65-49. Emari Evans finished with 26. The last time the Lady Tigers made Marsh Madness they won it all in 2011.
The Lakeview Lady Gators were the highest seed among remaining local teams and enjoyed being home for their two playoff games. They played their last game in Campti as they now
move to Hammond with the win over East Beauregard. The tightly contested matchup saw East Beauregard take the 28-27 lead at halftime. Lakeview regained the lead 43-42 in the third quarter as Timberlyn Washington dumped 10 would hold on to the win. Timberlyn Washington finished with 25 points. Sa’Niyah Marshall chipped in 12. Alonna Henderson added 10.
One of the battles of two local teams happened in Arcadia between the Lady Hornets and Homer. This was the fourth meeting between the two District 1-1A rivals. The two well versed on each other finished the first quarter knotted at 16. Arcadia jumped out in the second quarter to a 31-25 lead at halftime. Arcadia expanded their lead in third 46-39. The Lady Hornets took Round four with the Lady Pels and are headed to Hammond. The young Lady Pels will be back as they ended their season 16-8. Sharon Henderson scored 19 for Homer. The Lady Hornets had three in double digits. DeAsia Alexander netted 16. Justice Young added 13. Jayla Mendenhall added 12.
Two powerhouses collided in Bienville Parish on Thursday night. District 3-B champs Florien Lady Blackcats traveled to District 1-C champs Gibsland-Coleman Lady Bulldogs. GCHS defense clamped down in the first quarter only allowing Florien to score 3 points and had a 12-3 first quarter lead. Samora Sampson continued to power the Lady Bulldogs as she had accumulated 12 points in the first half and Gib had a 23-15 halftime lead. Marleigh Sparks and LaToya Holmes clawed Florien back into the game, outscoring Gibsland-Coleman 22-15. Despite Sparks three point assault And Gibsland-Coleman’s Baleigh Haulcy 8 points, Gibsland held on to a one point lead in the third. Baleigh Haulcy kept the Bulldogs with a one point 38-37 lead. The chipping away at the lead finally paid off for Florien as they pulled out the two point win over the Bulldogs and clinched their fourth consecutive trip to Marsh Madness. Sparks led the Lady Blackcats with 18 points off of six 3-pointers. LaToya Holmes finished with 12 points all in the second half. The Gibsland-Coleman Lady Bulldogs finished their season with a 27-7 record. Samora Sampson led the Lady Bulldogs with 20 points. Baleigh Haulcy pocketed 18 points. Arianna Williams scored 10.
Marsh Madness begins Monday, March 27 in Hammond.
Quarterfinals
Division III Nonselect
No. 11. Winnfield 65, No. 3 Springfield 49
Division IV Nonselect
No. 2 Lakeview 58, No. 7 East Beauregard 55
No. 4 Arcadia 56, No. 5 Homer 42
Division IV Select
No. 2 Northwood-Lena 67, No. 7 Cedar Creek 37
Division V Nonselect
No. 6 Florien 53, No. 3 Gibsland-Coleman 52
Top Performers
Emari Evans, Winnfield. 26, Springfield
Timberlyn Washington, Lakeview, 25, East Beauregard
Samora Sampson, Gibsland-Coleman, 20, Florien
Sharon Henderson, Homer, 19, Arcadia
Marleigh Sparks, Florien, 18, Gibsland-Coleman
Baleigh Haulcy, Gibsland-Coleman, 18, Florien
DeAsia Alexander, Arcadia, 16, Homer
Semi-Finals
Marsh Madness @ University Center in Hammond
Division III Nonselect
No. 11 Winnfield vs No. 2 Amite – Wed, March 1 8:00 pm
Division IV Nonselect
No. 9 Oakdale v No. 4 Arcadia – Mon, Feb 27 3:00 pm
No. 3 Oak Grove v No. 2 Lakeview – Tue, Feb 28 1:15 pm
Division V Nonselect
No. 6 Florien v No. 2 Hathaway – Mon, Feb 27 4:45 pm
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